Sharing motherhood in lesbian reproductive practices

Abstract

This article explores the experience of lesbians seeking gestation by means of reproductive technologies involving donor insemination and two biological mothers: one who provides the eggs and the other who carries the embryo in her womb. This model is called Reception of Oocytes from Partner (ROPA). This article considers the processes that are required for this procedure in Brazil. It is a study carried out from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five lesbian couples in São Paulo, in 2011. Cultural changes in the paths to the construction of a family by means of biomedicine can be characterized by the formulation of a reflective style of project that repeatedly reconsiders the data in search of its ultimate feasibility. the study reveals the desire to involve both partners, the importance of donor health history and the connection to the families of origin.